chapter 2
I caught his meaning and laughed. “What? Not formal enough?”
His gaze moved away from me in open mockery.
Leaning against the doorframe, I let my eyes linger on him. “Then what would you like me to do?”
The question must have been too blatant. He frowned.
“Yu Mian.” He said my name at last, the final syllable lifting slightly.
After so many years, hearing it from him made something inside me itch. I watched his throat move.
Then he said, “I’m no longer interested in you.”
The wind at his back wrapped his words in ice. Half my heart went cold, but it did not hurt much. I had expected it.
“What a shame. You really have no regard for old feelings.”
“Don’t talk to me about old feelings.” Impatience and restraint tightened his brow.
He tossed me the phone and strode away.
I had always been a light sleeper. That night, I did not sleep at all.
I had rarely thought of him over the years, as though some stubborn force inside me refused to admit he would never return. I had always felt our story should not have ended that way.
Near midnight, I found my phone. I had changed numbers once, and he was not in my contacts, yet I entered his number without effort.
I had never called him after our breakup. Maybe he had changed it.
The line connected.
Several seconds later, his indifferent voice came through. “Who is this?”
Sitting in the dark, I fought to hide my excitement. “It’s me.”
I expected him to sneer that he had no idea who “me” was. Instead, he said nothing at all.
He simply hung up.
I watched the glowing screen and smiled soundlessly. Difficult to coax. Good. I had always enjoyed a challenge when it came to seducing Jin Ran.
I searched his number on WeChat and sent a friend request. It sank without a ripple, and I fell asleep waiting.
Sisi arrived early the next morning. Wearing slippers, she stormed through every corner of my apartment and even flung back the covers on my bed.
“What are you looking for?” I asked over a glass of water.
She ignored me, searched every wardrobe, then ran back into the living room. “Where’s Jin Ran?”
I nearly choked. “You came here looking for Jin Ran?”
She leaned close. “Tell me the truth. He came over last night. Did you sleep together?”
Laughing, I turned on my stool to face her. “What did I do to give you that idea?”
Hands on her hips, she stared into my eyes. “I know you. The moment you saw him last night, your eyes lit up.”
“Was it that obvious?”
“Painfully.”
“I didn’t get him into bed.” I pouted. “Men with bad tempers are hard work.”
“Then let your big sister help.” She slung an arm around my shoulders, beaming. “Lin Yuanzhou said their group is having a gathering today. I’ll take you.”
It was a good chance to see Jin Ran.
I dressed with care, choosing a wine-red cocktail dress and stilettos. I thought I looked breathtaking.
Then we arrived, and I went numb.
It was a barbecue.
A gray drizzle hung over a country estate. The lawn was crowded with rugged men, smoke curled from several grills, and the air smelled of roasted meat.
I looked down at my dress. There was no way not to feel ridiculous.
“Don’t worry about it.” Sisi pulled me forward. “An actress is supposed to look beautiful. Who cares about the occasion?”
I had no answer.
Lin Yuanzhou jogged over. “Mian!”
His shout drew every eye. A few bolder young men crowded around. I had handled scenes like this countless times and greeted them with a practiced smile.
One blushed. “You’re even prettier than you are on television.”
I thanked him, but my eyes had already gone past him.
Jin Ran stood with his back to me at a nearby grill. Wind pressed his black jacket against a lean, powerful waist.
I narrowed my eyes. I wanted to hug him from behind.
Lin Yuanzhou smiled apologetically. “When they heard Sisi was bringing you, everyone wanted an autograph.”
“Of course.”
After I signed for them, the crowd scattered happily. Sisi clung to Lin Yuanzhou’s arm. “Go sit down, Mianmian. I’ll get you something to eat.”
Watching the couple walk away together, I smiled. Yesterday they had nearly torn each other apart; today they were sickeningly sweet.
Maybe that was love.
The shy young man returned. “Yu Mian, do you know our boss?”
I raised a curious brow. “Why do you ask?”
“I saw your picture in his wallet.” He glanced toward Jin Ran and lowered his voice. “I’ve caught him staring at it lots of times. He’s handled it so much the edges are frayed.”
Warmth flooded my heart and quietly became heat.
After someone called the young man away, I stood beneath my transparent umbrella for a long time. Jin Ran treated me as though I were invisible.
How could such a heartless man make me itch so badly?
I moved beside him as if by accident. Before I could speak, grill smoke made me cough.
Perhaps disgusted by my delicacy, he finally looked at me, cold and disdainful. “Go away.”
Naturally, I moved closer, letting my arm brush his. “Why didn’t you accept my friend request?”
He ignored me.
“Do you have cash?”
His patience strained. He pulled out his wallet, removed the entire stack of bills, and handed it to me. “Take it. You don’t have to repay me.”
Meaning he wanted no future reason for us to meet.
I reached for the money, then abruptly changed course and snatched the wallet.
“Yu Mian!” His sharp voice betrayed panic.
Smiling, I pulled a photograph from the inner pocket.
I was nineteen in the picture, standing beneath a tree in fractured sunlight, young and unspoiled.
My throat grew hot. I looked at him with naked hope. “You never forgot, did you?”